Improvement in pen-holders



J. F. JOHNSON.

Pen-Holder.

Patented May 7, 1878.

a bw BY N-PETERSI mm-umoammzn. WISKINGTON, [IV C. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH F. JOHNSON, OF YOGUM STATION, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PEN-HOLDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 203,460; dated May 7, 1878; application filed February 6, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPH F. JOHNSON, of Yocum Station, in the county of Lee and State of Virginia, have invented a new and Improved Pen-Holder; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side view of the pen holder with the pen withdrawn into the case and the extended position indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the penholder with the'pen extended.

My invention relates to an improvement in pen-holders designed to render the pen yielding to pressure upon the point, and to adapt it to be carried in the pocket.

The improvement consists in arranging the pen-socket in a tubular case, so as to slide freely, with a spiralspring behind the same, which tends to project the pen beyond the tube to its working position, the pen being retracted to its position in the tubular case by means of a stud extending through a longitudinal slot in the said case, and held in said position by being turned axially into a notch, as hereinafter more fully described.

'In'the drawing, A represents the tubular case, and B the pen-socket, arranged to fit in- 'said case so as to slide freely. G is a spiral spring arranged in the tubular case behind the pen-socket, and adapted to press the same outwardly. The pen-socket carries the pen D, and is provided with a small stud-screw or projection, a, which extends through a longitudinal slit in the case, and ords means for the retraction of the pen and its socket. The said slit in the tubular case has at its rear extremity a right-angular extension or notch, b, into which the stud a may be turned axially when the pen is retracted, in order to hold it in its withdrawn position. This notch b is preferably curved on its front side to form a seat for the stud, to prevent it from being ac cidentally dislocated when in the pocket.

By making the pen and its socket springseated, as shown in my invention, a number ofadvantages are secured. It makes the pen softer and more yielding-to the movement of the hand in writing. It breaks the force of the blow if the pen should fall upon its point, and thus prevents injury to the nib, which is a feature of great merit when gold pens are used. It also prevents injury to the point when dotting the letters i and j, especially when a heavy hand is manipulating the pen. While these advantages are secured, it also forms an extension pen-holder, which allows the pen to be quickly extended from or withdrawn into its case, according as it is to be used or carried in the pocket, and this, too, in a manner which is at once simple and free from deran gement.

I am aware of the fact that the advantages mentioned have been sought to be secured heretofore by arranging the pen-socket to slide, and attaching thereto in the rear a weight, which, from its gravity, projected said pen-socket or retracted it, according to the position which the holder was made to occupy, and that such weight had a flexible connection with the case through a spiral spring.

In this case, however, the gravity of the weight was the force which projected the pen-socket, while the spring was simply a flexible connection for the weight, the said spring being, when the pen is out, either entirely free and loose, or atleast only under a stretched tension, instead of under a compressed tension, as in my case, which arrangement, without other device, forces the pen-socket out with a positive movement.

In further setting forth the state of the art, I am also aware that a spring has been employed simply'to render a pen yielding and flexible, but without allowing it to be retracted into the case. I therefore only claim such spring, in combination with the other elements of the pen, when said spring has sufficientrange of movement to allow the pen to be drawn into the case, or be projected therefrom to form an extension pen-holder, and when, also, said spring is under a compressed tension for all of its positions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is The pen-holder consisting of a slotted and notched tubular case, provided with a sliding pen-socket having a projection to engage with the notch in the case, and a spiral spring in the tubular case arranged in the rear of the pen-socket, and under a compressed tension for all positions of said socket, substantially as described.

JOSEPH F. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

J. H. (Jones, L. G. BAKER. 

